• Outside My Window

    Outside My Window ~ 11.08.2009

    Outside My Window…is a beautiful morning ~ 59F with 62% humidity, skies are clear and a brilliant blue.  I believe we are in what is considered the peak season for the fall colors in our area.  I have noticed the colors on some trees are fading, but there is still much color and beauty out there.  I have been to different locations and taken many photos.  Hopefully I will be featuring some on here before too long. I am thinking…about how one tree can drop so many leaves.  My backyard is covered in leaves, covered.  But on another note, I found out what type of tree it is that drops…

  • Recipes

    Potato Goodness

    There are many different ways to make potatoes.  Everyone has a personal favorite, and this one ~ my new all time favorite.  These potatoes are melt in your mouth delicious.  The recipe is originally from The Pioneer Woman’s site….one of the many tasty treats she offers.  Again, the recipe is hers, the photos are mine.  Potato Bundles Russet potatoes, cut into chunks Yellow or white onion, cut into chunks Butter (regular, salted) Heavy cream Kosher salt Paprika Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons minced parsley (I didn’t have parsley so I omitted it this time) Gather all your ingredients together…….dice potatoes and onions into large chunks……. Tear off several pieces of…

  • Outside My Window

    Outside My Window ~ 11.1.2009

    Outside My Window…is a cloudy and windy morning.  Right now it is 59F with winds at about 17 mph.  We are at our high temp for the day right now.  It was cloudy and 80F yesterday.  Welcome to Virginia weather.  On the weather channel I noticed there is another low off the coast of North Carolina which means rain today and probably tonight….and the rain has arrived as well as the wind.  The rest of the week will be in the 60’s during the day, low 40’s at night.  The new image above was taken outside my patio doors actually…..I had not closed my blinds last night and caught this…

  • Life In General,  Miscellaneous

    Happy Samhain

    Long ago at the end of the third and final harvest, the Celts celebrated Samhain.  It was a time to commune with and remember the dead, a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation.  One of the possible sources for the origin of the name Samhain is from the Irish Gaelic word “samhraidh read”, which means the summer’s end.  It marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter for the Celts.  The day after Samhain is the official date of the Celtic New Year.  This day was chosen as the date to celebrate because it was at this time the sun was at it’s lowest point on the horizon…

  • Outside My Window

    Outside My Window ~ 10.25.09

    Outside My Window…is quite cloudy….the temp is 59F with forecasted high of about 67F and cloudy skies today.  Not quite as hot as it has been the past few days….yesterday was a balmy 82F.  The one thing I don’t especially enjoy about fall and/or spring weather….you are never quite sure what type of clothes you will need for the day ~ sweaters or shorts?   I am thinking…about how quickly this year has gone by.  It doesn’t seem possible it is the final week of October…..it seems like I was just writing about the spring season not so long ago ~ now we are well into fall and heading towards winter.  I…

  • Recipes

    Something Tasty

    I don’t know about you but I love homemade nachos…..and I’m not talking about dumping a bag of chips on a plate and covering them with cheese.  I’m talking about making your own chips and then adding the goodies you love.  Let’s make some nachos…. You will need (the amount of each ingredient depends on the amount you are going to prepare and what you like): Ground meat of choice Homemade or Packaged Corn Tortillas Refried Beans – can be either canned or homemade Grated Cheese of choice Onion, Lettuce, Tomato Jalapeño Peppers – I have used both canned and fresh….whatever is available will work. And your choice of any other…

  • Recipes

    Ahhhh, Friday!

    Unusual weather we’re having, ain’t it? {The Cowardly Lion upon noticing the snow that had fallen on the poppy field ~  The Wizard of Oz} I have to agree with my lion friend……unusual weather we are having here.   Last Friday I was writing about cold, wet weather coming our way…….today it is bright and sunny, temps are close to 80F.  By the way…who doesn’t love The Wizard of Oz!!  I have watched it each year for many, many years……..I still love it like I did when I was a kid.  🙂 But not another weather post today…….today I have a recipe for the White Chocolate Fudge Filled Oat Cups I…

  • Outside My Window

    Outside My Window ~ 10.18.09

      Outside My Window…is gray, gloomy and windy.  At 7:30 a.m., it is 49F but could feel colder if you were outside because of the wind.  We are on the tail end of a double nor’easter that came through the end of last week.  The high today will be a whopping 3 degrees warmer than it is right now…..52F.  I had to turn the heat on for the first time yesterday.  We are forecasted to receive a bit more rain…..but the pavement is dry right now. I am thinking…how in the world three people can mess a house up so quickly?  And to make matters worse, we are not here…

  • Life In General,  Miscellaneous,  Virginia

    Wet

    I saw on The Weather Channel this morningwe are expected to have back to back coastal storms…….or Nor’easter as they are called.  One affecting us today, another on Sunday.   I explained a Nor’easter in this post, but the short and simple of it is a nor’easter is like tropical systems we get in the summer, except not so much tropical.  They develop and produce cold northeasterly winds and like their summer counterparts, they can move real slow and dump days and days of rain.  They generally develop on or off the coast of the mid-Atlantic.   We have gotten our fair share of rain today…..with more expected this evening.  I haven’t heard so much about strong winds…

  • Outside My Window

    Outside My Window ~ 10.11.09

    Outside My Window…is a beautiful morning……sunny, blue skies and it was 57F at 7:30 this morning.  There is a nice breeze blowing as well.  I started this a bit later, but still quite beautiful outside.  We are forecasted for a high of 72F and partly cloudy skies.  The rest of this week doesn’t look so promising with a few showers forecast for each day.  There are a few trees beginning to change in our area but not quite as beautiful as some of the photos I have seen of the Northeast areas.  I am thinking…how nice it was to see my friends Shelly and Bruce at P.F. Chang’s restaurant last…